1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin composite for improving the mechanical properties such as modulus of elasticity and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Attempts have been made to add and mix a clay to an organic polymer material for the purpose of improvement in its mechanical properties. For example, methods for dispersing clay in nylons, vinylic polymers, a thermosetting polymer such as epoxy resins or in rubbers have been disclosed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-74957, No. 1-198645, etc.). In these arts, the following methods are used to disperse the clay: rendering the clay compatible with an organic material by using an organic onium ion to start the polymerization of the monomer between layers of the clay; combining the clay with a growth seed; and inserting a polymerized material between interlayer sections of clay by kneading them together.
However, a clay composite obtained by any of the conventional methods described above suffered from the poor affinity of the clay with a non-polar polymer. Accordingly, the non-polar polymer was not readily intercalated between the layer of the clay for the purpose of expanding the layer. Therefore, it was difficult to disperse the clay uniformly throughout the non-polar polymer.
In order to overcome such problems, we previously proposed, as shown in FIG. 8, to derivatize a clay 7 by means of an organic onium ion 6 into an organophilic clay 3, which is then dispersed in guest molecules 91 having polar groups 910 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-333114).
Nevertheless, the guest molecule having an ionic group such as an ionomer resin failed to give sufficient dispersion and satisfactory improvement in mechanical properties.